Doffing cutter with remote pickup

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for cutting a running yarn threadline in a yarn handling system and gathering the incoming cut end by means of a portable sucker gun. The improvement involves locating an actuator for the cutter upstream of the cutter. The actuator is actuatable by engagement with the sucker gun. This arrangement increases the length of the incoming cut end of the threadline between the cut and the sucker gun to increase threadline pickup efficiency by the sucker gun.

United States Patent 1 Charles et al.

[451 Feb. 11,1975

' 1 1 norrmo CUTTERWIIHROMMQKUP [75] lnventors: John Frederick Charles, Camden,

S.C.; Carl Joseph Markovchik, Newark, Del.

[73] Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.

[22] Filed: June 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 367,342

[52] US. Cl 83/100, 83/399, 83/402,

- 83/658 [51] Int. Cl B26d 5/12 [58] Field of Search 83/100, 98, 402, 658;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,191,831 6/1965 Bunting, Jr. et al. 83/100 X 3,564,958 2/1971 Richter 83/100 3,570,339 3/1971 Vandersip 83/100 X 3,741,050 6/1973 Coats et a1 83/402 X Primary E.raminer-Frank T. Yost [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for cutting a running yarn threadline in a yarn handling system and gathering the incoming cut end by means of a portable sucker gun. The improvement involves locating an actuator for the cutter upstream of the cutter. The actuator is actuatable by engagement with the sucker gun. This arrangement increases the length of the incoming cut end of the threadline between the cut and the sucker gun to increase threadline pickup efficiency by the sucker gun.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DOFFING CUTTER WITI-I PICKUP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to an improved apparatus for cutting down a threadline running ultimately to a winding machine, automatically catching the cut end and collecting the running yarn subsequent to restringing the threadline onto the winding machine.

When a yarn package being wound in a continuous operation such as spin drawing has attained the desired size and weight, it is necessary to cut the running threadline, then temporarily divert and dispose of the running end before removing the full yarn package and replacing it with an empty bobbin or core.

Methods used in the past to perform the cutdown and pickup of a running threadline include use ofa portable air aspirated yarn sucker gun with cutter attachment or device adjacent the aspiration entrance of the sucker gun. This method suffers generally from low pickup efficiency in that no margin for capturing the cut end is provided particularly at the high threadline forwarding speeds required in modern textile production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a.yarn handling system for forwardly a running threadline that includes a pneumatically operated portable yarn sucker gun and yarn cutting device adjacent said threadline, said cutter being engaged by the sucker gun for actuation thereof to cut the threadline and cause the incoming cut end of the threadline to be BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of a winding process in which the present invention may be used.

FIG. 2 shows details of the actuator'and cutter and their locations with respect to each other.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the actuator guide.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the pneumatic system used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a windup apparatus of a type useable with the invention comprises a frame 4 carrying a cam assembly 10 and a fixed drive roll 5 coupled to a motor 6. A bobbin 14 is carried on a support 8 which is located on a pivoted arm 18 which is adopted to urge the bobbin 14 or the yarn package 2 against the drive roll 5. A barrel cam apparatus 10 serves to traverse the yarn 12 through cam followertraverse guide 11 in a known manner as it advances from fanning guide 16 around drive roll 5 and thence to the package 2. Located between the fanning guide 16 and forwarding roll 26 in the path of threadline 12 are cutter 20 with guide pins 22 and actuator 24 rigidly mounted to a spinning machine frame 4. A sucker gun 23 is shown adjacent and in front of actuator 24 which is upstream of the cutter 20.

The cutting device shown in FIG. 2 incorporates a stationary anvil cutter bar or pin 34, a guided blade with blade holder 38 attached to the end 44 of piston 42 ofa pneumatically operated cylinder 32 all enclosed in a housing 28. The blade 30 is fixed to holder 38 by means of cap screw 46 through holder plate 48. The air cylinder may be of a type available from Bimba Manufacturing Company as Model No. 042 (2 inch stroke, 4 inch bore). A suitable material for the cutter pin 34 is soft red brass. To prolong its useful life, the pin 34 is rotatable on its axis in its mounting. The cutter enclosure is rigidly mounted to the machine frame 4.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 2A, the actuator 24 is comprised of a slotted and counterbored guide 40 attached directly to a three-way air switch 36 which may be a No. 3C4 palm button supplied by Tiny Tim Air Products. During a normal winding operation, the yarn threadline 12 passes approximately l/l6 inch in front of this guide.

In a doffing operation, as a full bobbin of yarn is ready to be doffed, the threadline l2 forwarded from a continuous process such as from a melt spinning operation, is pushed into the slotted guide 40 by the tip of a portable sucker gun 23 by the machine operator who by continuing the insertion action of the gun depresses the entire guide 40 which serves to actuate the three-way air switch 36. The switch then directs air as diagrammed in FIG. 3 to the cutter cylinder 32 which sends the blade and holder attached to piston 42 at high speed across the air gap in which the threadline is moving, driving the thread 12 into the circular brass bar 37 and cutting it. The sucker gun still in the actuator then sucks the cut end of yarn to waste. Upon removal of the gun from the actuator, the three-way valve 36 and the piston 42 in the cutter cylinder both are spring returned to their ready positions. Air from behind the piston exhausts at the three-way valve. I

The cutting device 20 is separated from the pickup point (at guide 40) to provide a longer yarn tail available for capture by the portable sucker gun. A minimum separation of about eight inches between the cutter and actuator or pickup point has been found to improve pickup efficiency particularly at high yarn forwarding speeds (e.g., about 2,500 ypm). The distance required has been found to relate to the snap back or elasticity of the particular yarn product being processed. Once the yarn is running into the portable sucker gun, the completed package is stopped, doffed, an empty bobbin or core replaced on support 8 and the gun manually manipulated to begin winding on the empty bobbin or core.

The cutter is capable of cutting heavy denier synthetic yarn up to 15,000 denier and above with no failures and will cut a fanning threadline provided the fanning motion is oriented in the same direction as the cutting movement of the blade. This arrangement provides a cutdown means combining low initial and maintenance costs with high cutting and pickup efficiency. The cutter may be used anywhere that cutdown and pickup are required in a yarn forwarding process.

What is claimed is:

1. In a yarn handling system for forwarding a running threadline that includes a pneumatically operated portable yarn sucker gun having a yarn inlet end and a yarn cutting device adjacent said threadline, to cut the threadline and cause the incoming cut end of the threadline to be picked up by the sucker gun, the improvement comprising: a remote actuator for indirectly initiating operation of said cutter located upstream 3 4 from said cutter adjacent the threadline, said actuator inlet end engages said slotted recess. having a slotted recess facing said threadline for receiv- 2. The yarn handling system as defined in claim 1, ing said yarn inlet end and through which the threadsaid actuator being located a minimum distance of line passes during the cutting operation, said actuator about 8 inches upstream from said cutter.

being operative for actuation of said cutter when said 

1. In a yarn handling system for forwarding a running threadline that includes a pneumatically operated portable yarn sucker gun having a yarn inlet end and a yarn cutting device adjacent said threadline, to cut the threadline and cause the incoming cut end of the threadline to be picked up by the sucker gun, the improvement comprising: a remote actuator for indirectly initiating operation of said cutter located upstream from said cutter adjacent the threadline, said actuator having a slotted recess facing said threadline for receiving said yarn inlet end and through which the threadline passes during the cutting operation, said actuator being operative for actuation of said cutter when said inlet end engages said slotted recess.
 2. ThE yarn handling system as defined in claim 1, said actuator being located a minimum distance of about 8 inches upstream from said cutter. 